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Read MoreCowboy Gear: Ropes
Slang terms for Cowboy Ropes included Line, string, ketch-rope, clothes line, throw rope, saddle rope, grass rope, twine, whale line, hard twist, hair rope, or pepper-and-salt rope. Whatever you call it, they say that a range cowboy did everything with his rope but eat. Vaqueros in early...
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Read MoreCollecting Recipes
Cookbooks take up three shelves above the desk in our kitchen, some old, some inherited and some new. My favorites are those old, used and sometimes stained binders filled with family favorites put together by church ladies or quilting clubs. I find them in used book stores and sometimes...
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Read MoreCowboy Gear: Saddles
“The West was won and conquered by the men who sit in saddle leather.” Saddle, a cowboy’s workbench and his throne. In the West, known as cow saddles, range saddles, stock saddles. In the East as Mexican saddles, Western saddles or cowboy saddles. Western cowboys were not impressed with...
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Read MoreFrom Vequero to Cowboy
What’s the difference between Vequero or Cowboy? Cattle handlers were called many names with various meanings over the past 150 years, beginning with the great cattle drive era to present day. Today cowboy is the most familiar term, but in the old days it meant something entirely different. The...
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Read MoreCast Iron Cookware
Worth a Mention in Your Will Cast iron cookware has been so treasured for many generations, some women left specific instructions in their will for the care of their cookware. Without a doubt, the best wedding present we received was a large cast iron skillet. My sister-in-law said, “I...
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Read MoreThe Cowboy Stomp
Stomp, Hoe-Down, Shin-Dig, Baile, Hoe-dig The “grapevine telegraph” spread the word through short grass country of upcoming social events. Neighbors rode for miles to share the gossip and pass the word along to other neighbors. If any cowboy who happened by your place mentioned the upcoming Hoe-Down, you could...
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Read MoreLongfellow’s Christmas Bells
The sorrow behind the joyful words of Longfellow’s song. As a writer, I’m always fascinated to learn the history behind the stories and how the events at the time might influence the words that flow onto a blank page. Good or bad, joyous or devastating–strong emotions can evolve into...
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Read MoreTruck Cookies and Piles of Worms
“Traditions are the guideposts driven deep in our subconscious minds. The most powerful ones are those we can’t even describe, aren’t even aware of.” ELLEN GOODMAN “I’m putting a truck on mine,” proclaimed my eight-year-old. “That’s a great idea!” I said. Dump trucks are not ordinarily parked on holiday...
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Prairie Purview
Cranberry Relish Time!
Finding Joy in Simple Things like Cranberry Relish! Fate is a funny thing; people weave in and out of our lives and sometimes the ones who make the most memorable impact are here for the briefest of moments. I love these simple surprises, like the day I discovered cranberry relish. A New Neighbor We had a new neighbor right across the street, who we welcomed on Halloween with pumpkin bread along with kids dressed as Buzz Lightyear and a pirate. Seems kind of un-neighborly to give her warm bread and beg for candy treats in return, but that’s the kind of people we are. Over the next month she and I visited briefly, exchanging pleasantries usually be the mailbox. Jesse’s husband had passed, they never had children, and her nephew felt she would do better living in town where she would be closer because of her heart problems. As she settled into her new house, we were packing to move to the country. A Simple Surprise One week before Thanksgiving, she appeared at my front door with a jar of brilliant red cranberry relish. I’m honored to have this simple recipe. Her cranberry relish was a dish that she made for well over 60 years for all of their family gatherings. The tart sweetness...
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Goodnight Historical Center; Worth A Stop
If you happen to be traveling along U.S. Highway 287 through the Texas Panhandle this holiday season, plan for a pit stop at the Charles Goodnight Historical Center in Goodnight, Texas. Don’t blink because you might miss it. Set back from the black top, you will see an 1887 Victorian-style home. The historical center is located at 4901 County Road 25. Watch for the buffalo signs and turn south on Country Road 25 by the green Buffalo Gold building. Located on its original site, the home has been fully restored and a tour with an informative guide is a must. Referred to as the “castle on the prairie”, it was the ranch headquarters for early pioneer and cattleman Charles Goodnight who first settled his cattle in Palo Duro Canyon in 1876, later to become the famed JA Ranch. With Irishman John Adair, they established the first cattle ranch in the Texas panhandle, and subsequently the Goodnight-Loving Trail, driving herds north to market. Splitting his partnership with Adair, Goodnight moved out of canyon lands and built his home on the prairie, 60 miles north of the JA. With windows imported from England, the home also features several lead glass doors. Located inside the front entryway and behind the stairs is the receiving room where Mary Ann...
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Book Reviews & Gift Ideas
Looking for your next read or a unique gift idea? Here are a few of my recent discoveries. Follow the links to author websites for more information and how to purchase. Cookbooks Home-Style Cooking for Extraordinary Diets by Sherri Axe Hartman Gluten free, wheat free, casein free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, corn free, and nut free. These recipes were developed over a 15 year span by a friend out of necessity for life. Hartman shares her best...
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Update: What’s New
Happy Fall, Y’all! Here’s an update on what’s new and what I’m working on: Rescue Animal Series: Geared towards emerging readers, these are chapter books with 3rd/4th grade vocabulary. If your elementary school or library would be interested in a program about “The Power of Words”, send me an email or call my office. All dates are full for Fall 2018, but you can still reserve a date for Spring 2018 or Fall 2019. Go to the CONTACT tab...
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